Are you hosting the office holiday party this season? Planning a New Year’s Eve soiree? Or the annual Family gift exchange? Playing hostess can be fun and rewarding, but we know it’s also a difficult task. This holiday season, let the inner super-hostess in you relax and enjoy. Smilebox has teamed up with professional photographer Lisi Wolf to bring you insider tips for how to capture all of the special moments at your holiday party while still juggling hostess duties. Read on for three quick and easy tips to get beautiful photos at all of your holiday events while never missing a beat!
Planning Makes Perfect
In preparing to host a party, its no secret that planning is key. Photography is not an exception to that rule! Save yourself the hassle by taking pictures that capture the setting and atmosphere before things get crazy.
An hour or so before your guests arrive, once everything is set up, take close-up pictures of lit candles, poinsettias, centerpieces, decorations, name plaques, and anything else that is important to the event. If you can, get pictures of the food platters and drinks as well. These kind of detail shots can help tell your holiday story with a sense of elegance, and capture the true essence of the event.
Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate
Being hostess is a difficult enough task on it’s own. Why add the stress of being photographer too? Plan in advance to ask one or two people close to you to manage the camera for the event. Ask one of your photographers to arrive 15 minutes before the party starts so that he or she can take pictures of guests arriving, while you can focus on hostess duties.
Before the party starts, you may want to think about the guests that are coming, and if there are any specific combinations of photos you will want to have. For example, if all of the cousins are in the same place for once or old friends are finally reunited, you definitely want to capture that. Write down a list of specific combinations of people you hope to get photographed, and give it to your chosen photographer in advance. That way, no one will get left out and you will get all of the photos you hope for!
During the party, have your photographer mingle with guests to get candid photos. Make sure to switch off camera duties so that everyone can get time to enjoy the party!
Photos First, then Food
If you will be serving a big meal at your party, don’t waste your time taking pictures of people sitting down at the table. According to Lisi, no one likes to be photographed when they are full or while they are eating! Keep your guests happy and make sure to get all of your photo combinations taken before the feast!
When taking the group shots, make sure to choose a backdrop that is not distracting. In front of the Christmas tree or mantle can be nice, but remember to stand far enough in front of your backdrop so you don’t blend in!
When arranging the photo, get the subjects as close together as possible. If elderly people will be in the photos, set up chairs in advance where you plan on taking the photo. Have those people sit down first, and then organize everyone else around them.
The key is to have your subjects’ heads as close together as possible. Have kids sit on laps or in someone’s arms. Remember that you don’t need to capture everyone’s bodies from head to toe! Make sure to get the faces and your mind can fill in the rest.
No matter what kind of party you are throwing this holiday season, sharing photos from the event with guests makes for a great party favor and way to say ‘thanks for coming’! One of our favorite designs is Holiday Skaters, below, and be sure to check out all of our holiday slideshows, photo albums, greetings and more!
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